Expecting parents should already be dealing with their choice of the appropriate maternity clinic at the beginning of the pregnancy. a) Tests and consultations during pregnancy in Germany. This is evidenced by the Washington Post article I mentioned earlier, which reports that more and more pregnant women are appealing for private donations – women like Kieri Andrews, who needs 2,000 $ to stay at home for six months after the birth of her baby, or Brianna Jones, a 19-year-old McDonald’s employee who needs help paying her rent. Breast-feeding, or nursing, is very popular in Germany and the Maternity Protection Act made certain this important facet of motherhood would not be neglected. Legally, they are protected and can’t get fired during the time at home, and up to 3 or 4 months after starting to work again. After paying my taxes for a number of years, I had the right to claim maternity leave in Germany, and get also parental allowance, and child benefit. There has to be pretty extenuating circumstances to fire an expectant mother unlike in the US. We are talking about companies with 4- 8 people that can’t afford to have extra people. What should I know about the pregnancy in Germany? My family was far away in France, the father of my child wanted nothing more to do with me, and my friends hadn’t yet started having kids. Midwife assistance includes care in provision, birth, aftercare, all breastfeeding questions, baby care, and support during post-natal recovery. if you have private health insurance or are co-insured as a family member of another statutory health insurance policy holder), you may be entitled to receive maternity benefit from the Federal Insurance Office, in a lump sum of up to 210 euros. Follow us and find useful advices about learning German as well as working and living in this beautiful region from Germany! Others, like freelancers, entrepreneurs, part-time employees and employees in smaller enterprises, get nothing. How was I supposed to handle it by myself? The USA doesn’t only fail to offer benefits for mothers – there is scarcely any general assistance whatsoever from the state. Working mothers that are nursing their babies are permitted to take "nursing breaks", providing 8 hours of work was not interrupted by … In America, there are only three states in which paid maternity leave is prescribed by state law: California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. The German social security system provides expectant and nursing mothers with maternity benefit to help make up for lost earnings. Addition… In which city do you live? Here is a selection of articles, news and features you may also like. Three. When I fell pregnant in 1999, I knew very well that I wanted to, and would, continue working – and not only because of the money. If an accompanying person participates in the preparation course, 80% of the actual incurrent costs will be reimbursed for the accompanying person, if this person is ensured with AOKN, as part of the AOK additional services (please note the requirements). Measures used to monitor the medical condition of the pregnant woman or postpartum women, along with non-medical treatments as set forth in § 28 para. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a88b88a9f90c89a7fd1447d6c42611bd" );document.getElementById("a66ed1b122").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hello,I am pregnancy with triplets from Iran. Even information on the health of the pregnant women are recorded here. Additionally, companies in California far outperform those in the rest of the country with regard to social benefits. Alex, many German women don’t come back after a year. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Maternity pay is intended to compensate working mothers for loss of earnings during their maternity period. The time period of the sonographies is also stipulated in the maternity guidelines and is a medical question that health insurance cannot answer. Once your application has been processed, you will receive a confirmation in the post. New parents may qualify for the German parental allowance (Elterngeld or ElterngeldPlus). This includes tax-free allowances, supplementary allowances and maintenance payments for parents. A further ten states have state laws that improve on the provisions of the FMLA: for example, by reducing the minimum number of employees to 10 rather than 50. Why are so few babies born in Germany? To provide new parents with even more financial support, the German government also offers a parental allowance (Elterngeld) scheme that compensates mothers and fathers for their loss of earnings for up to 24 months. Check the payments value, requirements and application process. In contrast to the USA, Germany has an established, country-wide social security net. A further ten states have state laws that improve on the provisions of the FMLA: for example, by reducing the minimum number of employees to 10 rather than 50. Required fields are marked *. The benefits of having a baby in Germany start as soon as you tell your employer that you are pregnant. Women covered by family insurance and that have marginal employment apply for maternity pay at the Federal Social Insurance Authority. In 1999, I accidentally fell pregnant. wow, congratulations! October 2020: 11 changes affecting expats in Germany, Several German states introduce internal travel restrictions, Germany’s top 10 most popular sites for international tourists, Housing in these two German cities is the most overpriced in the world, 8 English words you didn't know were borrowed from German. Women who themselves have health insurance receive maternity pay during the statutory maternity protection period – six weeks before birth and eight weeks after. Save for two exceptions, all my friends had working mothers – regardless of their social standing. The FMLA, or “Family and Medical Leave Act”, is a country-wide law that represents the closest thing Americans have to the German Maternity Protection Law. Additionally, in order to be eligible for maternity benefits, you must fulfil one of the following criteria: The amount of maternity benefit you receive depends on what type of employment you are in, the type of health insurance cover you have, as well as your earnings in the three months before you went on maternity leave: If you are covered by statutory health insurance you will receive maternity benefit based on your average earnings from employment in the last three months that you received full pay. I’ll never forget the day a colleague warned me: “Ms Rochereul, don’t you know that children who aren’t raised by their mothers all become criminals?!”. The “Affordable Care Act”, better known as “Obamacare” is the first step in the direction of social welfare for all who need it. I often question how Americans without families nearby manage to cope – and I still haven’t found any satisfactory answers. If non of this works as she would like, the employer has the legal obligation to take her back, to pay the same as before, and can’t fire her for a few months. Before I wrote this post, I went down to the basement and dug out my old tax returns and payslips. For maternity and standard parental benefits, you'll receive at least $500 per week before taxes but you could receive more. The German social security system: info on benefits and allowances available for expats in the case of sickness, unemployment, old age or low income. For multiple births and premature births, the maternity pay is extended from eight to twelve weeks from the childbirth date. If your average take-home pay before you went on maternity leave exceeded 13 euros per day (or 390 euros per month), your employer is legally obliged to make up the difference. I understand your concern. Since there is only a limited number of openings for pregnant women, you should register early enough at the desired hospital. For maternity and standard parental benefits, you'll receive at least $500 per week before taxes but you could receive more.

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